Forward-thinking for charities

Independent expertise for charities, funders and civil society organisations

I provide expert support to charities, funders and community organisations to help them plan, adapt and learn.

My focus is on three core areas – strategy & change, learning & evaluation, and leadership & development.

Alongside years of experience across civil society, I bring intellectual rigour, hands-on knowledge of the day to day, and a playful, practical, straightforward style.

 

Who I Work With

  • Charities

    I work with charities of all sizes to strengthen strategy, plan for the future, and build resilience. This can include organisational reviews, change programmes, or business development strategies. Alongside this, I provide extensive evaluation of programmes and services. While I act as a helpful outside voice, I know exactly what the day to day work is like in its reality - not just big theories.

  • Funders

    I support funders to review and develop their programmes and strategy. This includes evaluation, needs assessments, impact assessments, and new programme development. I’ve also done extensive work on increasing equity in funding processes, ensuring funding is accessible, effective and genuinely beneficial for the organisations and communities they serve.

  • Research, policy and campaigning

    My work provides powerful storytelling that makes a case for change. I work with dedicated campaigning organisations addressing wider social issues to offer research, criticial writing and analysis. My approach combines rigorous qualitative research and theoretical literacy, with a focus on practical learning and real voices.

Strategy

Sometimes organisations just need space and structure to work out where they’re heading – and sometimes they need deeper support to get through major change. My strategy work ranges from short workshops to full reviews and long-term development.

  • Full strategy reviews and long-term organisational development

  • Business and operating model design (including target operating models)

  • Vision, mission, values and ethics development

  • Income generation and business development strategy

  • Growth and stabilisation strategies

  • Governance reviews and board development

  • Crisis management and turnaround support

  • Facilitation of away days, workshops and board sessions

Learning and evaluation

Learning and evaluation is more than a report at the end of a project. I design evaluations that involve staff, volunteers and service users, so the process itself generates insight and improvement. The aim is to understand what works (and what doesn’t), and to use that knowledge to shape future practice.

  • Developmental evaluations of programmes and grantmaking

  • Theory of change development and application

  • Qualitative research (interviews, focus groups, ethnographic approaches)

  • Policy research and analysis for charities and law centres

  • Learning partner roles for funders and large programmes

  • Participatory evaluation methods that involve staff, volunteers and service users

  • Thematic and synthesis reporting for sector bodies and funders

  • Communicating research through reports, blogs, visuals and public speaking

Leadership and development

This strand is about people and organisations – how they lead, learn and work together as groups of human beings. I design and deliver programmes that build skills, confidence and reflective practice, alongside coaching and mentoring for leaders at all levels. It’s about supporting people with the realities of organisational life, not just theory on paper.

  • Leadership programmes and academies (design and delivery)

  • Action learning sets and reflective practice groups

  • Coaching and mentoring for CEOs and senior leaders

  • Training on strategy, governance, fundraising, impact and storytelling

  • Lecturing and guest speaking on charity leadership, organisational change, and the human dimensions of organisational life and leadership

  • Faculty lead roles

 

Research, writing and advocacy

I take on in-depth research projects that raise unheard voices to help make a case for change, with powerful storytelling. This can be used to support campaigning and policy change, oir explain the work we do – work designed to make voices heard and shift debate. This includes qualitative and participatory research, advocacy-focused studies, and writing that connects poilitics with civil society.

  • In-depth qualitative research for policy and campaigning

  • Sensitive research on a wide range of social issues foregrounding lived experience

  • Advocacy-focused studies that link evidence to change

  • Writing and publishing on civil society, politics and social justice

  • Speaking, podcasting, blogging and media commentary on charity and civil society issues

 

 

Why work with me ?

I’m energetic, independent, and no-nonsense, and I’ve worked with over 50 organisations from the tiniest to the largest. I’m known for my sense of fun as well as my depth of knowledge and experience.

You can see a wide range of recommendations here.